In a puzzling blockchain event, an anonymous individual has spent around $64,000 to inscribe approximately 9 megabytes of cryptic binary data onto the Bitcoin blockchain. This activity was reported in a January 7 post on X (formerly Twitter) from the Ordinals explorer Ord.io, revealing that over 1 Bitcoin was used in 332 inscriptions around 11:20 am UTC on January 6.
The nature and purpose of the inscribed data remain unknown, baffling observers who have attempted to decipher it, including unsuccessful attempts using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Speculation suggests that the data might be encrypted, making decryption potentially impossible or extremely challenging.
The identity of the individual behind this inscription is also a mystery. The Bitcoin address used for these inscriptions is simply titled “Unnamed” on Ord.io. The content of the inscribed data encompasses a variety of symbols from English, Greek, and mathematical languages.
Adding to the intrigue, two out of the 332 inscriptions are marked with digital pepperoni pizza icons. According to Ord.io, this signifies the inclusion of satoshis from the historic 10,000 BTC transaction used by early Bitcoin contributor Laszlo Hanyecz to purchase two Papa John’s pepperoni pizzas on May 22, 2010.
This enigmatic event comes just a day after another notable occurrence on January 5, where 26.9 BTC, valued at $1.17 million, was transferred to Bitcoin’s Genesis wallet, the first-ever Bitcoin wallet. This sparked various theories among crypto enthusiasts. Conor Grogan, one of Coinbase’s directors, speculated whether Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s creator, had become active or if someone had deliberately burnt a significant sum. Jeremy Hogan, a pro-XRP lawyer, suggested it might be an attempt to coax Nakamoto into revealing themselves by reporting the funds to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, though this theory hinges on Nakamoto being subject to U.S. tax laws.